Bolivar: GOOD. 60 degrees. It has been a beautiful week for fishing! More and more people are catching fish with the weather changes. The water has been beautiful as well. There were sightings of bioluminescence at night off the surf. Black drum and sheepshead are prevalent this week ahead of whiting, sand trout, redfish, speckled trout, plus the occasional pompano and alligator gar. Report by North Jetty Bait Camp. The surf is starting to hold some black drum, pompano, small shark and the occasional redfish. The North Jetty surfside is holding sheepshead and trout against rocks. Look for baitfish. Redfish in the channel hitting Carolina rigged mullet, shad, or crab. The end holds nice schools of trout and sheepshead. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Trinity Bay: FAIR. 67 degrees. Water is beginning to clear and fish are being found on shorelines, especially on the northwest side. Speckled trout bite has been good for those throwing soft plastics, scattered reds mixed in. Further north catches have been mixed. Anglers throwing live shrimp have caught reds, black drum, and speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trinity Bay trout are picking up at a rapid pace using shrimp under a popping cork and saltwater WAC assassins in the rollover moon and people passion. The bite lasts a good bit of the morning, then transitions to reefs in about 2-4 feet of water. Redfish are feeding aggressively if you are in the right spot with live shrimp under a popping cork and gulp shrimp. Hint, look for better water next to your good spots. Drum are mixed in with the reds and sheepshead are around docks and piling being caught free lining shrimp. Pay attention to the weather as winds can ruin a fishing trip and be safe. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 67 degrees. Speckled trout are beginning to show on reefs near the shorelines. Scattered catches of redfish and black drum near the marsh and bayou drains. Best bite on soft plastics and live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 65 degrees. Water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity back in the marsh and protected shorelines. We are still catching fish back in the marsh and bayou areas, but have begun to catch a good number of trout on the shell flats. This redfish bite remains consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines in 1-3 feet of water around oyster shells on Wac Attack Tails in Chartreuse, fished with 1/8 ounce heads, as well as weightless presentations. The trout have preferred an erratic presentation with pauses, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends/deeper drops with shell, triggering the most bites. Our experience has been that if you see bait flipping on the surface you will find some fish, if not, you are best to move on. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. Fish Smack Popping corks with a 3 foot leader above an artificial shrimp lure has done equally well on our trips, with a hard pop and about a 5 second pause gathering the most strikes. Spring is getting close and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms and the days continue to get longer. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Yates Bayou drain is holding redfish against grass line on popping cork and shrimp. Hanna’s Reef is great early in the day with twitching artificials or a popping cork with shrimp. Look for birds and slicks. small slicks could be just getting started. Watermelon smell in the air don’t pass on them. Look for bait moving. Pepper Grove Cove to Moody’s Pass holding fish. Smith Point to Moody National Wildlife. Redfish look for schools and birds. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 68 degrees. Open bay waters are still off-colored. Sheepshead are still active in the gas wells for those fishing live shrimp on the bottom. A few speckled trout showing along shorelines with shell, along with some black drum. Best bite on live shrimp under corks. Upper Galveston bay seeing better numbers of speckled trout and bull reds have been schooling in open water. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The South Jetty is holding trout, sheepshead and redfish near the rocks on free-lined shrimp, or Carolina rigged float with live shrimp or soft plastic. SWP Holding Redfish from Pier and from Rocks. Sheepshead are in front of the concrete Seawall. The drains out of Swan Lake Campbell Slough holding sheepshead with an occasional Redfish. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
West Galveston Bay: FAIR. 68 degrees. Speckled trout are scattered along the south shoreline. Deep structure holding some redfish and black drum and the occasional trout. Anglers drifting open bay reefs with soft plastics catching fair numbers of trout, bigger fish being caught by those wading the shorelines. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Greens Lake holding redfish against grass lines and by sandy shores early. ICW holding fish through greens cut and Carancahua cut holding trout and redfish with the amount of wind wind we are getting. Mecom Reef will have fish on it early up by rocks with artificial or live bait free-line or under cork. You’ll need to find protected waters with bait moving around as the winds pick up. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Houston: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 0.03 feet below pool. Water is clearing up at a rapid pace. White bass are about to spawn within a week, or so, and fishing is fantastic in the creeks and rivers using spinnerbaits and jigs on the bottom. It will not be long before these fish return to the main lake. Largemouth bass are hitting crankbaits, worms and grubs. Rig lightly and adjust heavier throughout the day if necessary. Catfish are picking up trout lining and jug lining using stink, shad and cut bait. Crappie are starting to pick up on structure in 8-16 feet of water on small jigs, silver and black and chartreuse are good. You just about cannot keep a gar off your hook in the creeks right now. They are everywhere. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: FAIR. 66 degrees. Good numbers of large oversized black drums coming off the rocks of the Texas City Dike and the Galveston jetties. The best bite has been on live halved crab. Sheepshead, slot redfish, keeper drum, and a few speckled trout being caught by anglers throwing live shrimp tight to the rocks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is holding bull redfish along the rocks with scattered catches of drum and flounder. Dickinson Bayou holding some redfish and drum on popping cork and shrimp or soft plastics. The rock shoals south of the dike holding fish on popping cork with live shrimp. Miller Point is holding a few trout and the occasional redfish. Look for slicks and birds this time of year. The smaller the slick, the fresher it could be. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Freeport: SLOW. 70 degrees. Sheepshead and drum fishing is full force at the jetties and pass on live and dead shrimp. Redfish have been good in the back lakes and bays with shrimp under a popping cork. Trout have been good with soft plastics and shrimp under a popping cork in the bays. Flounder are showing up at the pass and bays using mullet and live shrimp with a split shot and dragging them on the bottom. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
